At first I didn’t really get what it meant for our sport or why they would change it, but discussing it with some of the other Saltines helped me understand the complexity and significance of the new qualification process. Now that I get it, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you.

For the purpose of this discussion, we will be focusing on the women’s marathon, but the impacts will certainly be felt in the men’s field and across the sport, and if you’re interested in, say, the 10k, or the 400m the same basic principles will apply, but the qualifying times and page numbers will be different.

This was originally posted in 2016 by Barley. As Russian athletes are competing as unaffiliated athletes at this year’s Winter Olympics under the Olympic flag, we found reflecting on this post from the Rio Olympics particularly timely and relevant to #cheaterweek.

Doping scandals are nothing new, but the news that an entire country’s program condoned and systematically concealed doping among its athletes, we’ve entered a whole new era. While some deem the International Athletic Association Federation’s ban on Russia as a big step towards a clean sport, I can’t help wondering, is it a band-aid on a bullet hole? Are we finally on the verge of fixing this problem or are we on the verge of pretending to fix this problem? Far from feeling like the doping problem is solved, I’m left with more questions.

What about the other doping athletes we know are out there that still are likely to compete? While we’re all staring at the mess that is currently the Russian track and field team, are officials sweeping other problems under the rug, hoping we are too distracted to notice? And what about clean Russians, if there are any, getting caught in the crossfire? Where do we go from here to clean up the sport of running? Read more >>

You’re a great network. Really, you are. You gave us Seinfeld, Friends, Saturday Night Live, and cover the glorious biennial spectacle of the Olympics. But speaking on behalf of distance running fans everywhere, your track coverage sucks.

Every race, every track meet you televise, you let us down. When we see that a meet will be televised and eagerly DVR it, we dare to hope that this time will be different, that this time we will be able to watch our running heroes compete from start to finish. We grab our popcorn, settle in to watch, and…we’re left cursing at the TV as the network airs a total of five minutes of inanely-commentated distance races interspersed with commercial breaks and the preliminary rounds of men’s discus.

I get it, covering track can be hard. It might even seem like it’s just people running in circles. So let me help you help us. Here are some tangible suggestions that won’t leave track junkies (me) shaking their fists and turning off the TV in disgust.

Know your audience

Let’s be real, the people who are tuning into almost every televised track meet are already fans of the sport. The one big exception is the Olympics, when the nightly coverage introduces many newbies to track (which is great!). But for meets like the USATF championships or the Diamond League, the viewers are a self-selected bunch. So for the love of God, stop taking time to explain basic rules or point out the obvious. Everyone knows that the steeplechase has a water pit and that the 800 cuts in after 100 meters. You do not need to spend 5 minutes declaring how 25 laps for a 10K is “omg SO LONG!” Instead, use that time to talk about tactics, the background of athletes, issues in the sport (see below) — literally anything else.

Stop cutting away from distance events

I get it, distance track races can be long. You need to show commercials to make money and cover field events. Keep in mind, however, that the people who have tuned in want to see the whole race! Even in a 10K, the drama builds from the very first lap and knowing who set the pace at the beginning or surged at the halfway mark is useful, interesting information for people who care about track. There is strategy in 10k racing just like there is strategy in baseball, football, and soccer, but no one gets to see it when you only cover one-third of the race. And it’s not just the 10K: I’ve honestly seen a broadcast cut away from a women’s 1500m race, which is barely 4 minutes long. And don’t, ever, show the men’s race in its entirety, and give the women the short shrift. If you can’t see that this coverage bias is unfair, look at the marathon completion numbers, and you’ll see that your track viewing audience might also be women.

My solution? Use split screen or picture-in-picture to keep showing distance races while cutting to commercials or field events. They do it in other sports all the time — heck, they can show about 10 games at once on NFL RedZone. This is an easy way to keep distance fans happy while still satisfying ad buyers and pole vault junkies.

Give athletes a chance to breathe

We’ve all seen these interviews. Someone has just sprinted across the line, and, mere seconds later, the trackside announcer is shoving a microphone in their face: “GASP I just want GASP to thank God and GASP my coach and GASP [hands on knees] I just executed my race plan GASP GASP and I’m so happy GASP.” OK, maybe if someone just won a gold medal or qualified for the Olympics, their immediate reaction is noteworthy. Otherwise, let the runners recover! Even waiting 10 minutes would give them a chance to catch their breath, reflect on the race slightly, and provide a much more coherent, substantive, interesting interview. (In fact, maybe just call the FloTrack crew for help on this one.)

Be creative with technology

For years, broadcasts of swimming events have featured a moving line that indicates world-record pace. This would be an excellent thing to institute in track coverage, especially in meets that are geared toward fast times. It can be hard to get a sense of speed when watching running events on TV. Seeing athletes chase a benchmark would put their pace in context and provide added excitement and tension as the race unfolds.

Identify the rabbits

This suggestion was inspired by my recent viewing of the Berlin Marathon, where the pace-setters were wearing distinctive black-and-white-striped singlets/dresses that made their role as pace-setting rabbits clear. All too often, I’ve turned to Mr. Thyme to say “WHO is that in the lead?” only to see them drop out halfway through. Sometimes the announcers mention it, but not always (or, let’s be honest, I’m too busy rolling my eyes about something else to hear properly). Having rabbits wear a specific color or singlet would clarify matters from the start.

No time wasted wondering what fool is trying to keep up with Eliud Kipchoge. Photo credit.

Don’t be afraid to talk about doping

Of course, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are a sensitive subject, and I’m sure networks are wary of potential controversy or libel lawsuits. But when a 38-year-old sprinter is setting PRs or someone runs a world-record 10K and is barely breathing heavily, everyone is thinking doping. Doping is a huge problem in track, and ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. Broadcasts need to dig deeper and acknowledge how much cheating has affected the sport.

I suppose I should be grateful that you are airing track at all. But I just want to watch Emma Coburn be a badass from the gun to the finish. Is that too much to ask?

Maria Elena Calle, now an Olympian, was only nine years old when she started running at her elementary school in Cuenca, Ecuador. Although she usually finished first or second, Maria insists that the races were just for fun and she wasn’t thinking about winning. “At that age, it was just an after school activity mainly to spend time with friends,” she says.

Maria always loved running, which came naturally to her. At 17 she was selected to represent Ecuador in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meters at the Bolivian Games, which is like a mini-Olympics for South America, held every four years. Maria was one of the youngest competitors there and surprised everyone by finishing thid in both races (behind Janet Caizilitin who finished fourth in the 1992 World Cross Country Championships junior race and Martha Tenorio, a 2:27 marathoner). She recalls standing on the podium singing the Ecuadorian national anthem and realizing that, “maybe, just maybe, I could be good at running.”

It’s one of those Midwest spring days, the ones 30 degrees cooler than the day before, with pouring rain that chilled more than snow as it drummed down on rows of sleepy mid-century cottages and split-levels. It’s the kind of day where nobody wants to stand around outside, particularly not on a Saturday morning after a hard 0-dark-thirty workout that didn’t go exactly as planned. But there is Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympic marathoner, bundled up with coffee in hand, sleepily shouting “Good job!” to participants in the Bill Roney 5k.

It doesn’t take much for Des’s husband, Ryan to get her to smile and gin up a little enthusiasm despite the conditions and her lingering angst about the workout, which had gone ever-so-slightly awry.

What brings Des to this rainy street corner in suburban Detroit, three weeks before she hopes to win the Boston Marathon? Read more >>

Elite Canadian distance runner Natasha Wodak is a badass. Not only is she an Olympian, she currently holds the Canadian record in the 10,000m (31:41.59, Palo Alto 2015). By all measures she is one of the top Canadian distance runners of all time, with a running resume to prove it.

I’ve long been a huge fan and admirer and I want to share what I find so inspiring about Natasha with you!

Like most of us around here, I love the Olympics: the drama, the amazing athletic feats, and yes, even the back stories. Currently seven months pregnant, I myself am far removed from a competitive mindset; I watched the Games every night while balancing a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream on my belly. But living vicariously through my favorite athletes inspired me and I learned a few things that will help my running in the future, some from likely sources and others from some athletes I wouldn’t have expected.

Now that the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Rio Olympics are over, we have so many things to talk about. We couldn’t choose only one question this week, so we decided to ask you ten! We’d love your opinions on all, some, or one, or feel free to share your commentary on some other aspect of the Games.

Best race overall

Best individual performance in a race

Most likely doper

Biggest disappointment

Best athlete back story

Worst NBC commentator flub

Best display of sportsmanship (or sportswomanship)

The one thing/person you loved that no one else seemed to appreciate

The one thing/person that annoyed you that everyone else seemed to love

What grade would you give the Rio Games and why?

All questions are geared to the running events, but if you have strong opinions about other events go ahead and share!

Tom: Welcome to the most popular parking lot for runners in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. This morning, these nondescript sedans and family cars will provide the backdrop for the start of Dill’s much anticipated Sunday long run.

Today we’ll be following the journey of this legendary mother of two as she attempts to finish twenty miles at thirty seconds slower than her goal marathon pace. But her journey didn’t start here on this hot and humid morning. Here’s Bob to take a look at the difficult journey Dill endured just to get herself and her minivan here. Read more >>

The Rio Olympic track and field events kicked off with an amazing day, most notably with the insanely aggressive running of Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana in the Women’s 10,000 meters. Almaz didn’t just demolish the incredibly competitive field, she bested Wang Junxia’s 23-year-old dope-enabled world record by 14 seconds! With so many high-profile distance races run tactically, seeing an athlete of Ayana’s caliber going for time and pulling so many other great athletes to epic performances including eight national records, was a sight to behold!

Even before the top runners crossed the finish line, Twitter was aflutter with doping allegations. Yet, looking at the results of the top six runners, every single one of them ran personal bests. The USA’s Molly Huddle ran a big PR and a nine-second American Record. Fifth place, Betsy Saina who is a Kenyan athlete, but has trained in the U.S. also ran a huge 10,000 personal best. Tirunesh Dibaba, who won gold in the 10,000 in Beijing and London, who took almost two years off of competing when pregnant and recovering from having her son, ran the fastest time she has ever run …. and she is fast.

Who is doping? Why do we think they’re doping? I personally do not know, but I’d love for us to lay out all the evidence both for and against the idea that this 10,000 was anything more than one for the ages. Because in this era of corruption and suspicion surrounding our sport, wouldn’t it be nice to have that?

After the jump, I’ll include some resources that I’ve collected. Please share others in the comments! Read more >>

However, despite what the NBC primetime schedule would have us believe, there are more than a handful of these other Olympic events taking place each day, and competing in each of these are unsung athletes who can inspire us just as much as Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky. Sure, it’s fun to picture ourselves hurtling over a vault at death-defying speed or gliding through the water on our way to another world record, but who among us dreams to take up something like fencing or table tennis? Maybe the épée or the maddening starts and stops of ping pong aren’t right for you. Like the special snowflakes we are, we’re not all suited to the same obscure Olympic events. Don’t worry, we can help you pick the right event as the backdrop for your gold medal fantasy.

This week, in an attempt to justify the time-delayed coverage of the Olympics, NBC explained that they did this, in part, to appeal to the majority of Olympic viewers: women. Apparently, we don’t really care about sports and timely results, we just watch for the human interest stories behind each amazing Olympic feat. As NBC has stated, it’s not about competition for us ladies. No no, far be it from us to care about the sports part of sports, because we just care about Phelp’s new baby (be still my ovaries!). His potential for a record-breaking Olympic medal count? Bor-ing.

Except that is completely untrue, as shown by the interweb’s outrage over NBC’s coverage. Personally, I do care about the results, so much so that I’ve had to temporarily send my emailed news updates to spam so I don’t inadvertently discover winners before primetime coverage starts. Yes, I also care about the stories behind the athletes but that’s not because I’m a woman, it’s because I’m a human. More than anything else, I love the Olympics because of the nail-biting competition between the best athletes in the world.

As an alternative to NBC’s focus-group results, tell us why you watch the Olympics.Is it just for the human-interest stories or the competitive, fast-paced, heart-racing results? Do you only cheer for your country’s athletes or teams, or do you cheer for the individuals with the most compelling stories and hardest journey to the games?

If you haven’t heard, we here at Salty Running have started a new brand of products and services we call SaltyValu™. Like everyone, we are super excited about the Quadrennial Contest of Athleticism kicking off down in the Southern Hemisphere tonight! (We know, we know, as a media company with a fake line of products and as a sponsor of precisely zero Olympians, Rule 40 doesn’t apply to us, but you can never be too careful).

And speaking of controversies, with the International Olympic Committee mired in scandal and rumors of corruption, we decided the time is now to launch our competing Games. That’s right! SaltyValu™ Every-Fourth-Year International Sporting Festival Planning is here to help you organize a Global Celebration of Brawny Feats! For just three easy installments of $9.99 billion in small, unmarked bills and seven years of advance notice we can almost guarantee to have the venue ready before the guests arrive!

Yes, we hear your concerns. $29.97 billion?! We’re gonna need a bigger suitcase. Indeed! And also, it may seem like a lot of money. Certainly more than $29,699,999,999.99. But just look at the five ways our Sporting Festival will be better than the Olympics. The results will speak for themselves. Read more >>

It’s summer reading list time, but this year summer is also time for the Olympics, so it’s only natural that we compile an Olympics reading list. As an Olympics super fan, I’ve read many books about the Olympics over the years and have compiled some of my favorites below. Take your pick and read now to get excited, read in between events, or read afterward when you’re depressed over the long wait until Tokyo.

With the Olympics starting next month, our eyes will be fixed on each nation’s strongest and fastest as they compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am not one of those athletes, but that didn’t stop me or the nearly 4,000 other runners that finished the Maratona do Rio de Janeiro in 2013.

Sure this race was three years ago, but I learned something that might come in handy for anyone traveling to Rio for the big games. Along my taper runs and along the marathon course, I found some fabulous pavement to pound and some off-road trails to satisfy every runner.

Keep reading to find out which route would best suit you if you ever find yourself in this South American metropolis. As a bonus, hit these routes, and you’ll be able to soak up the Carioca sun as well as some Olympic action in the “Marvelous City“.